The Anadolu agency has reported that the heads of two sculptures representing the Greek gods of Dionysus and Aphrodite were unearthed in western Turkey in the ancient city of Aizanoi.
Excavation coordinator, Gokhan Coskun, reported that these:
"are important findings for us, as they show that the polytheistic culture of ancient Greece existed for a long time without losing its importance in the Roman era. The findings suggest that there may have been a sculpture workshop in the region."
Located 50 kilometres (31 miles) away from Kutahya's city centre, the history of Aizanoi dates at least 5,000 years back and is part of UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List in 2012.
The statue of the goddess of health, Hygieia, was also unearthed in Aizanoi in August with its head missing. Coskun, said of the findings:
"Unfortunately, (the head) hasn't survived to the present day, but in its current form, we can see that this statue is about the size of a human."
He added:
"During past digs in Aizanoi, finds related to Hygieia were also found. This situation makes us think that there may have been some construction and buildings related to the health cult in Aizanoi during the Roman era."
During Roman times, Aizanoi was a large political and economic centre. Remains from the period include, a theatre-stadium complex, a macellum and a temple of Zeus. The city was flourishing until Late Antiquity, by the start of which it started to decline.
Findings suggest that the area had been populated since the Bronze Age, while the city changed rule from the Kingdom of Pergamum to the Kingdom of Bithynia during the Hellenistic period. The area was home to important monuments dating up to the 3rd century. The Temple of Zeus formed the city's main sanctuary and was located on a hilltop. Ceramics found in the area are also dated back to the first half of the third millennium BC.
[Based on reporting by: Greek Reporter]
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